Student Portfolio

Student Portfolio By: Nancy Sutherland May 2001

Table of Contents

“We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit.” Robert H. Shaffer (Brownlow, 1997, p.16) A. Introduction a. Why I want to be a teacher. • I want to make a difference. I want to create a productive and effective learning environment for my students. One where students feel comfortable and encouraged to explore their own personal learning styles. I want to use my gifts and knowledge to provide today’s youth with the best education I can. I want to be an inspiration. I personally had a very difficult time getting through my own primary and secondary classes since I did not fit into the educational expected categories for “normal” learners. For this reason my desire is to help those individuals who are Deaf overcome the constant barriers that are, more often than not, constructed around them. I hope to help my future students by providing them with the tools they need to be successful in their learning environment.

Table Of Contents

A. Introduction b. When did I decide to become a teacher of d/hh students. • My senior year of high school I went to see a counselor, who gave me a battery of tests to help me pick my major when I attended college. The tests told me that I was best suited for farming, fishing, or forestry. When I stopped sobbing the counselor told me about a Special Education class she had taken at Kent State University. In our discussion about the different areas of Special Education the topic of teaching students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing peaked my interest.

A. Introduction c. Why I made the decision to become a teacher. • Deaf Education was something I knew nothing about and for this very reason held my interest more then anything else I had ever heard about. I chose Kent State University without even looking at the campus, or any other college for that matter. I asked where the best college was for Deaf Education and when the answer came back Kent State, I made my decision. At first the thought scared me, because I knew nothing about what I had just chosen to be my future. However, it was not long after I started taking classes that I became completely fascinated and compelled with the teaching of the Deaf. Being an educator in my eyes is a challenge, one that is ongoing, frustrating at times, but in the end extremely gratifying.

“Teach your students to use what talents they have; the woods would be silent if no bird sang except those that sing best.” Anonymous (Brownlow, 1997, p.29) B. Educational Experiences a. Characteristics of my best/worst teachers. • As I look back at my past educational experiences it is really hard for me to recall any strong teachers. Like everyone in school I had teachers that I liked and those I did not like. The problem was that I never knew there were others ways of teaching until I went to college. I remember going to my first middle school to observe a few classrooms, I was simply amazed! It was at that point that I began to compare the education I received back home to the one students are receiving in the Kent area. The more I thought about it the more I resented my past teachers; because I felt like I was cheated out of an education that I deserved.

b. Teaching characteristics of my “weakest” teachers Uneducated on subject matter as well as new and improved methods of teaching Unable/unwilling to give students clear expectations of desired goals dealing with students educational work and personal growth Lack of motivational attitude toward teaching/classroom No parental involvement- unwilling to collaborate with parents on methods that would benefit the child’s performance Unprepared Insecure/lack of confidence Favors students B. Educational Experiences

c. Teaching characteristics of my “strongest” teachers Creative/focus on getting students to ask questions Flexible Respectful to students, parents, and colleagues opinions on ways to benefits the classroom Fair and consistent Teach to students, do not teach over their heads Aware of own limitation/admit when do not know something, seeking collaboration to improve self as well as classroom Accept students with weaknesses and work with student to improve them B. Educational Experiences

“The cost of educating a child today is immense, but the cost of not educating a child is incalculable.” Anonymous (Brownlow, 1997, p.3)B. Educational Experiences d. My resulting insights concerning teaching. • Sadlyduring my educational years , I encountered more weak teachers than strong ones. However, now that I look back on all of my experiences it was the weak as well as the strong that encouraged me to become a master educator. Since I have started to evaluate my educational past I have noticed that I say, “I will never do that when I become a teacher”, instead of stating “I will be sure to do that when I become a teacher”. Either way, the influence from past educator’s is the driving force in my pursuit to becoming a superb educator.

“Teaching is painful, continual, and difficult work to be done by kindness, by watching, and by praise, but above all by example.” John Ruskin (Brownlow, 1997, p.57) C. Educational Philosophy • Introduction • As I begin my journey as an educator I will abide by and take these beliefs with me through my classroom travel. For I believe that without these necessary beliefs, becoming a master teacher would not be achieved. I dedicate this next portion of my portfolio to informing all of my essential beliefs about teaching.

C. Educational Philosophy a. Conflict Management • I will include conflict management into the curriculum that will help children improve their conflict resolution concepts and skills. • ERS- Educators for social responsibilities (Chauncey, 1999, p.5) b. Student Centered • I believe that students should be viewed as team players and teachers viewed as their coach. • OCES- Ohio coalition of essential schools (Hoffman, 1999, p.12) c. Teachers Role • I believe that my role as teacher is to be a facilitator as well as a collaborator. d. Students Interests • I believe that teachers should focus their curriculum to their students interest.

C. Educational Philosophy e. Students Needs • I believe as a educator what you teach should be tailor-made to meet the needs of each child in your class. f. Collaborative Classroom • I believe a well rounded classroom is one that incorporates the relationship between the teacher, students, and parents. g. Modeling • I believe it is essential for teachers to model not only curricular agendas but moral attributes as well. h. ASL as a first language • I believe that students who are Deaf need to be versed in their own language of ASL first before moving on to English as a second language.

“The greatest difficulty in education is to get experience out of ideas.” George Santayana (Brownlow, 1997, p.22) C. Educational Philosophy • Summary • These beliefs are just a beginning to the plethora of concepts I have gained throughout my years of college and plan to use in my years as a teaching professional. Everyday is a new learning experience, one that if not taken lightly can prove to be an enlightening experience. I will take each and every one of these with me to my future destinations. With these valuable concepts I will succeed in being the best teacher I can be. I will also use my past educational experiences both good and bad as a guide, which will lead me in a positive teaching direction.

“There are three things to remember when teaching; know your stuff; know whom you are stuffing; and then stuff them elegantly.” Lola May (Brownlow, 1997, p.49) D. Instructional Strategies • Introduction • This section of my portfolio is dedicated to the instructional strategies that I have gained throughout the years as an aspiring teacher. Not only is it important to know what strategies one plans to use when teaching, but also how to go about implementing those strategies to become an effective teacher. I plan to use these strategies as a guide to show how I will teach.

D. Instructional Strategies a. Learning through interactions • Children learn more effectively when they are engaged in interactions rather than when they participate in receptive or passive activities. Students should be interacting with other peers, materials, and their surroundings in ways which help them make sense of their own experiences and environments. • “Interactions that arise in the course of activities provides a context for much social and cognitive learning.” (Katz, 2000, p.1)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. b. Cooperative Learning • By incorporating cooperative learning into your curriculum students academic, management, and social skills will increase. There are five characteristics of cooperative learning: 1) put students into groups of three or four, 2) the task that is to be accomplished should be focused on, 3) peer cooperation and interaction is required in the groups, 4) each students has his/her own responsibility to learn, and 5) support division of labor. • “Cooperative learning is learning based on a small-group approach to teaching that holds students accountable for both individual and group achievement.” (Orlich, et.al, 2001, p.300)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. c. Teaching Students to use Learning Strategies • This approach is known as the Strategies Integration Model (SIM) and can be used to teach basically any strategic intervention to students. There are six steps to the SIM. • “The strategy should be clearly linked to (i.e. useful in completing) the tasks that students need to perform and where they need to perform them.” (Sturomski, 1997, p.8)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. d. Authentic Learning • In this strategy the learner gains such an understanding of the material that he/she is then capable of restating that information in any form. When the student is able to explain and/or question the material they are learning, they appear to have a better understanding and comprehension of the material. • “Authentic learning requires the learner to communicate an in-depth understanding of a problem or issue rather than memorize sets of isolated facts, and it must result in achievements that have relevance beyond school.” (Brown, 2000, p.3)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. e. Establishing Reciprocal Relationships with Parents • Parent- Teacher relationships are an important factor in the education of students. They must work as a team to decide pertinent information needed to help the student succeed. This new family-centered approach enables the parent and the teacher to work together to achieve mutual expectations for the child. • “Reciprocal relationships between teachers and families require mutual respect, cooperation, shared responsibilities and negotiation of conflict toward achievement of shared goals.” (Bredekamp, Copple, 1997, p.22)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. f. Dramatic Play • Dramatic play enables children to learn how to role play. They are allowed to use their imagination and create who ever they want to be. This can be done by going on field trips where the students can develop new roles and situations. Through this form of role playing, which is dramatic play it enables students to develop empathy for others. • “Carefree and creative dramatic play promotes cognitive development and helps children learn how to share, communicate, and cooperate with each other.” (Sturm, 1996, p.1)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. g. Learning Centers • Learning centers can be used in a variety of ways on a variety of subjects. They can stimulate independent thinking as well as cooperative learning environments. Learning centers can be built into the curriculum along with activities for student enjoyment after their work is completed. • “Centers commonly found in primary classrooms include Math, Language, Reading, Writing, computers, blocks, dramatic play, Social Studies, and listening.” (www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea1lk19.htm)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. h. Assessing Student’s Learning and Development • Teachers need to asses each student’s learning progress primarily through written records of observation and evaluation of work samples, portfolios, group work, and experiments collected systematically at regular intervals. Results of these assessments are used to improve and individualize each students instruction needs. Teachers should involve students in evaluating and then revising their own work, this helps them to understand and learn from their mistakes. Parents should also be an active participant in the assessment of their child's learning process. • “Teachers solicit parent’s knowledge about children’s learning and development progress and incorporate this information into ongoing assessment and evaluation strategies.” (Bredekamp, Copple, 1997, p.176)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. i. Initiate Question Asking • By initiating questions, teachers allow students to focus more on the product instead of the solution. Also by posing situations to students that have no solution teachers can initiate questions from there students. Students need to question if they want to find the answers. It is the job of teachers to create the inquiry and motivation in students to ask the “When, Why, and How” questions. • “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.” (Charles P. Steinmetz) Brownlow, 1997, p.76)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. j. Multisensory Learning • The multisensory approach encourages teacher to send additional information through additional channels that are too often ignored. This enables teachers to utilize all the students senses, allowing students to better understand and remember information. Using the senses also proves to heighten the students level of arousal and improve on the level and intensity of the amount of focused attention a student can put forth towards a given target. • “The role of the senses is another area that has been slightened because of out tendency to equate thinking with verbal processes.” (Williams, 1986, p.35)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. k. Teachable Moments • Teachable moments are a student centered way in which teachers allow students to continue conversing about whatever they choose. These conversations are brought forth by the students. Teachers can use teachable moments to then relate the information back into the curriculum. This gives the students needed pratice in linguistic skills, a sense of acceptance, and provides the teacher with a better understanding of what the students interests are. (Ann Marie Kennedy, Personal communication, November 2, 2000)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. l. Dialogue Journals • Journaling is a way for the teacher and the student to communicate through written expression. If administered correctly this strategy can greatly increase a students reading and writing skills. Dialogue journals are a non- graded written conversation between two people. • “Every good teacher dreams of a technique that will increase student’s interest in reading and writing, and will help them learn to think of written language as a natural and important way to communicate thoughts, information, feelings, and ideas.” (Bailes, et al, 1986, p.1)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. m. Variety of deaf role models • By exposing Deaf and Hard of Hearing students to Deaf adults can prove to be very beneficial. The students are able to communicate with, while practicing their use of ASL. They are also given the opportunity to see adults who are deaf that have succeeded in life and who function in a hearing world. This could provide students with the opportunity to dream and create goals for a life after high school. • “Knowledge of the historical development of ASL will permit an understanding of what the areas are open to change and how the language allows these changes to occur.” (Bornstein, 1990, p.93)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. n. C.O.P.S. • This is an emergent learners correction strategy used by my practicum teacher. Each letter stands for; Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, and Spelling. It is used at the end of the writing process to better assist the students in proofreading their work. The student’s are directed to place each letter at the top of the page after they have successfully located and corrected the topic of each letter. Once they have finished this procedure the teacher in turn will place a number under each letter, this means that there are that many corrections still left to make. This process is continued until the student has corrected all of their mistakes. This strategy is a good one for introducing students to work independently and to find their own mistakes. This strategy can also be increased to include other methods of correction like; Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics. (Wendy Brummitt, Personal Communication, April 11, 2001)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. o. Physical Movement • The use of this strategy should be incorporated into all lessons and activities. By utilizing this method students are given the opportunity to get up and move around during the lesson. These short breaks are built into the lesson by the teacher having the students get up to retrieve materials or by having one student pass out papers. This can work for the entire class or for one or two students that have a difficult time staying seated for the entire class. It is a good strategy for teachers to anticipate a students need for physical movement, this in turn will help the lesson reach its’ potential goal. (Debbie Slyh, Personal Communication, February 28, 2001)

D. Instructional Strategies Cont. • P. Weekly Parent Journals • Through the use of weekly parent journals the teachers and parents are given the opportunity to interact on a consistent basis. All too often the only tome parents are contacted is when a student is acting up in class. By using this method the parents will be informed of good behaviors as well as not so praise worthy behaviors. This strategy also allows the parents to be kept informed of the students school assignments and their child’s current status in the class.

“One mark of a great educator is the ability to lead students out to new places where even the educator has never been.” Thomas Groome (Brownlow, 1997, p.83) D. Instructional Strategies Cont. • Summary • By reading this section of my portfolio one can understand how my beliefs plan to be carried out by my instructional strategies. For instance my belief that a classroom should be student centered will be administered through the use of teachable moments, cooperative learning, and learning centers. Furthermore my belief of incorporating students interests into my classroom will be fulfilled through learning by interactions and authentic learning. In my eyes there will never be a conclusion to this section of my portfolio, for I will never stop learning. Therefore, I will use every new experience as a stepping stone toward completing another page in my life as an educator.

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” Robert Maynard Hutchins (Brownlow, 1997, p.67) E. Learning Environment • Introduction • The environment in which students will learn is a crucial aspect to their education. Often people categorize a good classroom by it’s size and the abundance of materials available in it. Very little attention is focused on the feeling and use of the materials in the room. This section of my portfolio is dedicated to showing how I plan to create a positive learning environment in my future classroom.

E. Learning Environment a. Match Learning Environment to Students Learning Style • A teacher’s classroom needs to fit the needs all of the students presented in it. Understanding and knowing the students learning styles enables the teacher to accordingly present the materials in ways that best suite the students. This also allows the students to succeed by providing them with the most appropriate environment. • “The expression learning style refers to the students sound preference, light preference, and preference for working alone or in a cooperative group or with a peer, for short burst or long periods of work, for moving around or staying quiet.” (Kirk, et. al, 1997, p.264)

E. Learning Environment Cont. b. Creating a Caring Community of Learners • Students need to feel comfortable in their classroom, as well as communicating with their teacher. This can easily be done by a simple heart felt greeting in the morning, to being available at all times for students. Parents must also feel comfortable talking and discussing issues with the teacher, in order for the concept of community to take place. This can be done by meeting with the parent at whatever time is convenient to them instead of making parents rearrange their schedules. When all three elements are able to interact systematically a caring, comfortable, and reliable community is established for all learners and parents. • “Developmentally appropriate practices occur within a context that supports the development of relationships between adults and children, among children, among teachers, and between teachers and families” (Bredekamp, Copple, 1997, p.16)

E. Learning Environment Cont. c. Classroom Rules • Have no more than five rules, keep the wording simple and positive, make the rules specific (observable and measurable) publicly post the rules, tell students the consequences for following and for breaking the rules, and include a compliance rule.

E. Learning Environment Cont. d. Classroom Schedule • A classroom schedule is a posting of how the daily activities will play out. This provides the students with a listing of when they should be engaged in learning, when assignments should be completed, and when other activities will be held. Teachers should seek student input, publicly display the schedule, keep parents informed, alternate difficult and enjoyable activities, avoid revising a schedule, reinforce students for attending to tasks.

E. Learning Environment Cont. e. Physical Arrangement of the Classroom • Teachers need to arrange the desks in rows, small groups, semi circles, and partners. Place disruptive students close to the teacher and surround them with good role models. Make sure any materials needed for projects are easily accessible, do not leave students with free time to get into trouble. Place teachers desk in a quiet corner facing the students.

E. Learning Environment Cont. f. Learning Centers • Learning centers can be a group of desks put together to form a table, a space on the floor covered with carpet, or a quiet place in the room where students can go. Create learning centers away from students working independently, so that students will not be disturbed by the group discussions. Allow centers to be highly accessible, inviting, and comfortable for students.

E. Learning Environment Cont. g. Reading Area • A sufficient reading area is part of the room that is filled with books, has a T.V., VCR, and head phones. This area is carpeted with a table, chairs, pillows, beanbag chairs, etc. A reading area is where children can come to read, research assignments, or watch educational tapes on T.V. This area can also be used as a place for students to regroup if they are having a bad day and need time to themselves.

E. Learning Environment Cont. • h. Provide a Structured, Predicable Classroom • The environment should be structured to the sense that it provides consistency and clarity. Students should know where things belong. They should know what is expected of them in a specific situation and can anticipate what comes next. By doing this teachers can eliminate unnecessary disruptions in the classroom.

E. Learning Environment Cont. i. Consider Sensory Factors • Creating a classroom that utilized and avoids those senses that either hinder or help their students creates a comfortable learning environment. • Visual- Are there distractions such as light, movement, reflection, or background patterns? Consider the eye level of the students and the positioning of the teacher in relation to the students. Also consider the time required to shift attention. • Auditory- What is the general sound level and the predictability and receptiveness of sound? Consider the students individual comprehension of verbal information and the time typically required to process auditory information and to shift attention. • Tactile- Is the temperature of the room appropriate? Does the student demonstrate a need to explore through touch? • Vestibular- Consider each students need to move and explore.

E. Learning Environment Cont. j. Print Rich Environment • Decorate the walls with students own work and with activities they are working on. Make the outside of the classroom as inviting as possible. Have the students interest in mind when creating the themes inside the classroom. Use bright colors, different shapes, contrasting patterns, and different textures when making decorations.

E. Learning Environment Cont. k. Create an open and honest relationship with students • Due to the fact that many of our Deaf students have no communication system at home, there only time to vent, communicate, or to ask questions will be in your classroom. As a teacher one must be aware of your students actions and attitudes. When something happy or sad happens at home/school the student’s only time to react to that event and get a response is at school; teachers need to be aware of that.

E. Learning Environment Cont. l. Labeling the room and creating a word wall • Younger students need consistent reinforcement of what words look like both written and fingerspelled. By labeling everything in your classroom children will come in contact with new and old words everyday. By creating a word wall students are given a guide to the words they know and need to know. By doing this student’s become familiar with all words written and fingerspelled. This provides students with the opportunity to see and work with language words on a daily basis.

“School is a building that has four walls with tomorrow inside.” Lon Watters (Brownlow, 1997, p.87) E. Learning Environment Cont. • Summary • An effective learning environment is a crucial aspect in creating a working chemistry between the teachers and students. This aspect is often overlooked because teachers assume that a working learning environment is automatically created when one starts teaching. Without this fusion between the environment and the students, the teachers classroom and the students education is already in danger of being less than it’s full potential. By considering all of the sensory factors in my classroom I will be better prepared to facilitate a multisensory learning environment by using hands on materials and methods of teaching that enhance all of my students learning needs. Also by creating a caring community of learners in my classroom, I will be able to establish a reciprocal relationship with my students parents. Along with my weekly parent journals the relationship with my students parents will increase due to the open line of communication. These are just a few of the ways I plan to promote a positive learning environment in my classroom.

F. Instructional Resources • Introduction • This next section of my portfolio is a collection of work researched by my fellow peers. The websites that I have chosen are just a few of what were collected in a more in-depth project. I chose these websites because I find them to be the most beneficial. If more research and information is required I suggest going to the individual project and looking more in-depth. These websites can be used to locate national organizations and national standards on a specific subject, or to direct students to the use of technology in your classroom.

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” Robert Frost(Brownlow, 1997, p.32) F. Instructional Resources • Math National Organizations • National Council of teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) http://nctm.org (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001) • The Mathematical Association of America www.maa.org/ (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001) • American Mathematical Association http://e-math.ams.org/ (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001)

F. Instructional Resources Cont. • Math Cont. National Standards • NCTM Standards http://nctm.org/standards (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001) • National Math Standards Grades K-4 www.education-world.com/standards/national/math/k-4.shtml (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001)

F. Instructional Resources Cont. • Math Cont. Curricular Resources • Fractions www.mathleague.com/help/fractions/fractions.htm (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001) • How Parents Can Help www.schoolfutures.org/%20%20School%20Futures%20Webs%20Site/parentspg4.htm#mathematics (Jennifer Fabian & Robyn Kwiatkowski, KSU, 2001)

Student Portfolio